Midnight. A string of words roars

……午夜。一行字呼嘯著

streaking from the dark tunnel, dim blue signal light

衝出黑暗的隧道。幽藍的信號燈

flashing by. A train drags its umbilicus

閃過。一列拖著臍帶的火車

through the trestle, my hollow chest

穿越橋梁，枕木下

still trembling beneath the sleepers, pressed tight

我凹陷的前胸不斷震顫。它緊抵

to the arc of sky, crushed, flattened out.

俯身降落的天空，碾平，伸展

You know, I

——你知道，我

am always this way, wobbling

總是這樣，搖晃著

up at midnight, sipping water,

在深夜起身，喝口水

sitting. Letters. In the phone a droning snowfield.

坐下。信。電話線中嗡嗡的雪原。躺在

Spread across the keyboard, shipped off by my own hands. Crossing mountains,

鍵盤上被自己的雙手運走。翻山越嶺

the tips of redwoods scuffing my thirsty face,

從水杉的尖頂上沉沉掃過，枝條

their boughs rasping. Or on the ground

劃破饑渴的臉。或者，貼著地面

shattered ice in my eyebrows. You know, sometimes

冰碴掛上眉毛，你知道，有時

I walk beneath the cape lilac on Weisi road, carrying green vegetables.

我走在緯四路的楝樹下，提著青菜

I shove open the door, imagining your shadow. The children squeal with joy

推門，彷彿看到你的背影，孩子們快樂尖叫

and rush my legs. Rain slips down the windowglass.

衝過來抱著我的腿。雨從玻璃上滴落。

The house starts to shake, the glide of silent wheels

屋子晃動起來，輪子無聲地滑行

towing night’s chimneysmoke. Sounds of the city hush.

拖著傍晚的炊煙。那時，市聲壓低了

Downstairs the cobbler plucks a nail from his mouth,

樓下的釘鞋匠，取出含在嘴裏的釘子

swings the hammer, drives hard through life’s sole, no

掄起鐵錘，狠狠地楔進生活的鞋底，毫不

hesitation. These junkmen

猶豫。這些拾荒的人

haul cartloads of scrap, pocketing small coins,

拉著破爛的架子車，藏起撿到的分幣

their joints strong. You know, that festival

粗大的骨節從未被摧毀。你知道，端午時節

of fragrant weeds, where we anchored,

蒿草濃烈的香氣中，我們停靠的地方

till dawn the cuckoos calling from distant woods,

布穀鳥從深夜一直叫到天亮，在遠處的林子裏

from shadowed trees. Your long lashed eyes

躲在樹蔭下面。你睫毛長長的眼睛

shutting. At my hand, a glass of cool water,

閉著。手邊是放涼的水杯和灰燼的餘煙。站在窗前，

the wisps of dying coals. Standing by the window

我想：我愛這個世界。在那

I think: I love this world. Once,

裂開的縫隙裏，我有過機會。

in the cleft of a moment, I had a chance.

它緩緩駛來，拐了彎……

It steered slowly close, then turned the corner.

我總是這樣。盯著熒屏，長久地

I’m always this way. Staring forever at the screen,

一行字跳出黑暗。黝黝的田野。礦燈飛快地向後

a string of words leaping from darkness. A dusky field.

丘陵。水塘。夜晚從我的四肢碾過。

A miner’s lamp racing backward.

淒涼。單調。永不絕望

Hills. Ponds. Night grinds my limbs.

你知道，此時我低垂的額頭亮起

Misery. Monotony. Never despair.

一顆星：端著米缽。搖動鐵輪的手臂

You know, at this moment one star illuminates

被活塞催起——火苗竄上來。一扇窗口

my bowed head: lifting the alms-bowl for rice.

飄著晾曬的嬰兒尿布，慢慢升高了……

An iron arm drives the iron wheel driven by a piston

—a tongue of flame shoots up. Past the window

a hung diaper, slowly rising.